They're here! Below are the semifinalists for our 2015 Restaurant and Chef Award categories, from Outstanding Restaurant to Rising Star Chef of the Year.

Scroll down to see if your favorite restaurant or chef is in the running. (For a refresher on how these names were selected, read this.) And don't forget: we'll announce the final Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, as well as the nominations for our Book, Journalism, Broadcast Media, and Restaurant Design Awards, at the James Beard House in New York City on Tuesday, March 24.

The 2015 James Beard Awards gala will be held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 4. The Foundation's Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards Dinner will take place at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City on Friday, April 24.

Today we're spotlighting the competing dish developed by chef Naomi Pomeroy, who heads up the highly acclaimed Beast in Portland, Oregon. We matched Naomi with Auburn, California native Kathy Partak. A military mom and an enthusiastic home cook, Kathy often struggles with her weight, and has had seve... Read more >

The James Beard Foundation is a proud partner of the Kids Food Festival, running next Saturday and Sunday at the Bank of America Winter Village in New York City’s Bryant Park. Presented by the Creative Kitchen, the weekend will be packed with fun and engaging activities dedicated to educating families about making balanced food choices that foster lifelong wholesome eating. Little epicures and their parents can attend hands-on cooking classes in the James Beard Foundation Future Foodies Pavilion, where renowned chefs like Daniel Holzman, Jehangir Mehta, and Bill Telepan will share their recipes, skills, and love for all things culinary. Our own Izabela Wojcik and Victoria Jordan will bring James Beard to a new generation by hosting a class and demonstrating the recipe for his famous shortcakes with apple–pear compote.

Searching for the best small-batch, artisanal products to add to your pantry? Our staff scoured the market for you, and we'll be featuring their picks all month long. Here, see what senior editor Elena North-Kelly has to say about her chosen cocktail bitters,Bob’s Cardamom Bitters.

“It’s hard to beat the appeal of a whiskey cocktail on a cold winter’s night, but I’ve found that using cardamom bitters takes it to another level of solace. Bob’s Bitters specializes in all-natural, bespoke bitters that are designed from a culinary perspective. I like using the aromatic, slightly spicy cardamom bitters to bring extra warmth and depth to a classic Old Fashioned. Here's the recipe.”

With so many high-volume, global brands on the market, it’s easy to understand the allure of artisanal wine. Traditional, old-world winemaking—small-batch, terroir-driven wines, with minimal interference by the vintner—can yield thrilling results. Production limitations often result in big price tags, but there are still plenty of good values to be found. We enlisted JBF Award winner Daniel Johnnes, wine director at Daniel Boulud’s restaurants, to do the digging for you.

Château Jean-Pierre GaussenBandol 2008 ($28)Septuagenarian Jean-Pierre Gaussen does practically everything himself at his ultra-traditional estate in Bandol, a Provençal... Read more >

A home-cooked Valentine's Day dinner should be a little over the top. Roast chicken stuffed with foie gras? Bring it. Pasta carbonara topped with Dungeness crabmeat? Of course. Dark Valrhona chocolate baked into individual soufflé cups? It's a special occasion. Now's not the time to hold back. Give it your all with recipes like these:

Here's what's coming up at the James Beard House and around the country:

Tuesday, February 17, 7:00 P.M.Delmonico's Does Mardi Gras!
A New York institution for over 175 years, Delmonico’s keeps diners coming back again and again thanks to chef Billy Oliva, who injects his own flair into the restaurant’s classic menu. Inspired by Mardi Gras, Oliva has created this one-night-only, New Orleans–meets–Delmonico’s feast.

Wednesday, February 18, 7:00 P.M.Eye on Atlanta
Drew Van Leuvan worked under some of the world’s best chefs—including Jean-Louis Palladin, Wylie Dufresne, and Joel Antunes—before opening Seven Lamps in Atlanta’s bustling Buckhead neighborhood. Join this chef-on-the-rise as he comes to the Beard House to prepare his style of satisfying craft cuisine.